Sodom and Gomorrah

Sodom and Gomorrah were renowned for their wickedness (Genesis 18:20 ). Despite Abraham's successful plea (Genesis 18:22-32 ) not even ten righteous men could be found in Sodom, and the cities were judged by the Lord, then destroyed by “brimstone and fire” (Genesis 19:24; NIV, “burning sulfur”).

The unnatural lusts of the men of Sodom (Genesis 19:4-8; Jude 1:7 ) have given us the modern term sodomy, but the city was guilty of a full spectrum of sins including pride, oppression of the poor, haughtiness, and “abominable things” (Ezekiel 16:49-50 ). Together, Sodom and Gomorrah provided a point of comparison for the sinfulness of Israel and other nations (Deuteronomy 32:32; Isaiah 1:10; Jeremiah 23:14 ). The memory of their destruction provided a picture of God's judgment (Isaiah 13:19; Jeremiah 49:18; Matthew 10:14-15; Matthew 11:23-24 ) and made them an example to be avoided (Deuteronomy 29:23-25; 2 Peter 2:6 ).

Daniel C. Browning, Jr.